Air conditioning apparatus and method for passenger cars



SENGER CARS R CONDITIONING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PAS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 N Q I v (Q Q o A N cq m INVENTOR.

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M, u WW ATTORNEYS.

J H. DAVIS April 36, 1935.

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS AND METHOD EOR PASSENGER CARS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 15, 1931 S V TM V g m W..JM M E S N V. B

Aprifi 30, 1935. J. H. DAVIS 3 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PASSENGER CARS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. fssss H DAV/5,

A IE MA [N A TTORNEYS.

M, lamb.

Patented Apr. so, 1935 UNITED STATES 11,999,720 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PASSENGER CARS Jesse H. Davis, Baltimore, Md.,

, Sturtevant Company, Hyde assignor to B. F. Park, Boston,

Mass., a corporation oi Massachusetts Original application January 15, 1931, Serial No. 508,996. Divided and this application September 25, 1933,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for conditioning air in railway passenger cars, that is to say, freeing the air from all dust, soot, cinders, and other foreign matter,

5 controlling its temperature and humidity, and

employed, and

effecting its proper circulation throughout the car, while eliminating drafts. More particularly my invention relates to improvements in the air conditioning methods and means set forth in my prior applications Serial Nos. 400,928 and 400,929, filed October 19, 1929.

This application is a ing application, Serial 15, 1931.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for conditioning air whereby the air may be purified and either cooled or heated and humidified or not, as occasion may require.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of and means for heating the air wheredivision of my co-pend- No. 508,996, filed January whereby the use of the latter in whole or in part may be dispensed with.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying the invention effect which embodies novel means for cooling, heating, humidifying and circulating the air and controlling the actions of such means,

whereby a simple, reliable and eflicient apparatus sdagdted for use at all seasons of the year is pro- -In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention,

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a railway passenger car embodying means for carrying my invention into practical effect;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a v tl oi Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view similar to Fig. 1 through one end of the car, showing the parts on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is anenlarged detail transverse section through the half deck and air conduits at one side of the car, and i Fig. 7 is a schematic equipment designed to be out my invention.

In the drawings I have shown an air condirtical longitudinal section on line perspective view of an applied to a car to carry Serial No. 690,834

tioning equipment for an individual car system; that is to say, the car is a unit completely equipped with the necessary appliances for air conditioning purposes, with the possible exception of a source of heat supply for the heating means, which may be that of the heating equipment of a train of which the car forms a part.

The car I may be a railway passenger coach of generally conventional construction, or of any approved type, preferably having the usual end doors 2 and windows provided with double sashes 3, which sashes may be kept closed in order to prevent undue entrance of unconditioned air and undue escape of the contained conditioned air, as thorough and effective ventilation will be afforded by the air conditioning apparatus of the car.

.The car is provided at its top, and preferably at or near one end thereof, with an air intake chamber or compartment 4, preferably located above the vestibule at one end of the car, within which is arranged a conditioning unit embodying a casing 5 for the elements of the conditioning mechanism in communication at its outer and inner ends with the inner and outer ends of said compartment t. The outer end of this casing is provided with horizontal transversely extending air inlet slots 0, and in said casing between said slots and inner end of the casing are arranged in regular order a combined air humiditying and water filter device 1, a baflle type of excess moisture eliminator and mechanical filter 8, and atemperature conditioning coil 9. The humidifying and water filter device consists of sprayers for delivering water in very finely divided condition into that portion of the casing in which they are arranged, which forms a filtration and humidifying chamber within which all or a portion of the air is washed and freed from dust, soot, cinders, and other foreign materials, and humidified to the desired degree. The air on its flow through the casing then passes through and between the eliminator baflles 8, which relieve it of any excess moisture. The humidified air then comes in contact with the surfaces of the coil 9, and then discharges into the compartment 5 at the inner end of the casing, whereby the air is cooledor heated to meet desired conditions.

For the purpose oi admitting fresh atmospheric air when desired, the car is provided with fresh air inlets H0 at opposite sides of the compartment 4, which inlets may be controlled by dampers or shutters l I, independently operable by hand-controlled devices l2 on the inside of the car, so.

attendant to admit fresh atmospheric air when desired to prevent vitiation of the air within the car. The fresh air entering each mlet 863 may be pro-heated by means of a pre-heating coil it when the external atmospheric temperature is sumciently low to require or make desirable the pre-heating of the air prior to its further treat ment. Suitable means, in practice, may be employed for the removal or discharge from the casing 5 of the impurities separated from the air, and also suitable means may be employed within or in the region of the air inlets id to prevent en-, trance with the air of rain, sleet or snow.

The chamber 6, casing 5, and the air conditioning parts immediately associated therewith are preferably arranged in the space at the top of the car between the side walls or risers M extending from the ceiling plates to the upper roof deck It and on the outer sides of which are arranged the half decks fli. Over these half decks ii are arranged, in accordance with my invention, walls I8, each covered by a heat insulating layer is and forming with the associated half deck I! an air circulating channel 20 extending longitudinally of the car. Ad-

vantage is taken of the spaces formed between the parts l4, l5 and" to provide air distributing channels 2|, extending parallel with the channels 20, and in communication therewith at intervals through ducts 22, each preferably provided with a controlling damper or shutter 23. Each of these dampers or shutters 23 is preferably of adjustable type and manually-operable by controlling means comprising a rack 26 engaged by a pinion 25 on one end of a shaft 28 extending at its opposite end into the car and having an operating hand wheel 27, whereby the damper or shutter may be adjusted to the desired degree. These dampers may be employed to control the passage of air from the circulating channels 20 to the distributing channels 26 for supply to the interior of the car through suitable air inlets in the ceiling plates IE, to regulate the amount of volume of air admitted to the car throughout the length thereof. In order to avoid gushing of the air through the ducts 22 and to cause the air to flow easily through the air inlets 28 in the plates 15, suitable baflie devices 29 may be disposed in the conduits 2i, whereby the elimination of all drafts will be secured.

The ceiling plates l5, except where arranged beneath the compartment 4, may correspond in arrangement to the conventional ceiling plates, but are of slotted type, of grille type, or louvre type, or otherwise suitably constructed to provide the air inlets 28 for the supply of the conditioned air to the interior of the car. These ceiling plates or the portions thereof, however, which form the floor of the compartment dare provided with sets of air passages respectiveb' controlled by dampers or sets of shutters 30, 3| and 32, which may be of pivoted vane type. The shutters 30, as shown, communicate with the compartment 4 in front or beyond the outer end of the casing 5, and are provided to govern the upfiow of a portion of the air from the interior of the car for the pm'pose of humidifying and re-circulating such portion of the air. The shutters 3| are provided to allow a portion of the air to pass from the interior of the car upwardly into the inner portion of the casing I for contact with the coil 9, so that such portion of the air may be cooled or heated and re-circulated without being re-humidified. The shutters 32 are arranged for the passage of a portionlof the neearao air from the interior of the car upwardly into the inner portion of the compartment i, to adapt such portion of the air to be re-circulated without being humidified, cooled, or heated, the shutters S32 forming a by-pass whereby the air from the car may be diverted and prevented from passing through the air treatment devices in the casing 5 and thereby re-circulated, without conditioning treatment, from the interior of the car to the compartment i and through the channels 2d and 25 back to the interior of the car again. For the purpose of drawing air either from the exterior or interior of the car into the compartment 6 and forcing the air through the channels 28 and 2t, motor driven fans 33 are preferably employed and arranged within the portion of the compartment 3 between the inner end wall of said compartment and the inner open end of the casing 5, said fans communicating with the inner ends of the channels 20 and operating, therefore, to draw air from the exterior or interior of the car into the compartment d through any of the air inlet passages which may be fully or partly open and to force such air through the circulating and distributing channels 26 and ti.

It-will thus be understood that fresh air may be taken in through the inlets it when desired and circulated and commingled with the air in the car, to keep such air in a wholesome state. If the outside air is taken in through the inlets l8 and filtered when the outside temperature is low, say below 50' or 55 R, such air may be preheated by supplying a heating medium to the coils l3 to raise the temperature of the incoming air to 50 or 55 F. before it passes into the humidifying chamber, the temperature of the water supplied to which should be a few degrees higher than that of the fresh air. The air thus taken in and humidified to the desired degree may be, during the summer months cooled by means of the coil 9, or; during the winter months heated by means of the coil 9, before passing into the inner end of the compartment 4 and being forced by the fans 33 into the circulating channels. The air within the car may be recirculated, with or without conditioning treatment, and commingled or not with air admitted through the passages III, as the shutters or dampers controlling the passages iii may be opened or closed at any time and, if closed, the fans 33 will operate to draw air from the interior of the car through such of the shutters 30, 3| or 32 which maybe open at the time, and force it through the channels 2E and 2| back into the car, which circulation may be kept up with or without humidifying, cooling or heating, or otherwise conditioning the air as long as desired.

Should it be desired to humidify aportion of the air in the car while it is being re-circulated, the shutters 30 may be opened, and the air drawn from the interior of the car into the compartment 4 will be re-humidified before its return to the car, to keep the atmosphere of the car in a proper humidified condition. Should it be desired to heat or cool the air, without humidiflcation, this can be effected by closing the shutters 30 and opening the shutters 3i, and, at the same time, if desired, another portion of the air may be circulated without thermally treating it by opening the shutters 32. By closing the shutters 30 and 3| and opening the shutters 32, all the air which is-being recirculated will be drawn directly from the car into the fans 33, without passage through the conditioning means, and will be forced through the channels 20 and 2| back into the car, as will be readily understood.

In the summer, the water spray device may be cut out of action and humidity control may be efiectedby passing the relatively warm air over the cooling coils 9, thus reducing its temperature and consequently its relative humidity. With the water supply device cut out of action, its cooperating hygrostat 38a is also, of course, cut out of service. The air to be cooled and de-humidified may then enter through the shutters 39 to pass over the cooling coils 9 and then be mixed with by-pass air drawn in through the air intake 32. The mixture of the by-pass air and conditioned air is then drawn into the fans 33 and discharged through the supply ducts 2| into the space occupied by the passengers.

Controlling means for the dampers or shutters 39, 3| and 32 is provided comprising pneumatic motors 39 and 35 for respectively actuating the dampers or shutters 3|) and 3|, and on the shafts of a damper shutter of set 3| and a damper shutter of set 32 are crank arms 36 coupled by a connecting rod 31! so arranged and operating as to alternately open and close the dampers 3| and 32 on its opposite movements, so that when the damper shutters 3| are closed the damper shutters 32 will be open, and vice versa. The motors 34 and 35 are connected by feed pipes 38 and 39, respectively, with an air supply pipe 40 leading from an air reservoir 4|, whereby air may be supplied to the motors to actuate the said motors. In pipe 49 is a pressure gage 42, cut-oil cocks 43, 44 and 45, and a relief valve 46, for obvious purposes, and in pipes 38 and 39 are, respectively, automatic control valves 38' and 39' governed respectively by a hygrostat 38 and a thermostat 39 m the car to open and close the dampers at desired humidity and temperature degree points. When, for example, the humidity of the air within the car falls below a certain percent, the hygrostat is influenced to open the damper 39 so that a portion of the re-circulated air will be drawn by the fans from the car through the humidifier and eliminator and humidified and purified and forced by the fans back through the circulating and distributing channels to the car. As soon as normal humidity conditions of the air in the car are restored, the hygrostat 38 closes the valve 38' and the damper 30 is closed. When, on the other hand, the temperature of the air in the car rises or falls above or below the predetermined degree, the thermostat 39 opens the valve 39 and air is supplied to cause motor 35 to open damper 3| and close damper 32, so that all the air to be re-circulated is drawn through damper 3| and caused to pass with any fresh outside air admitted in contact with coil 9, whereby the air is cooled or heated and then returned through the channels 20 and 2| to the interior of the car. When the temperature of the air in the car is returned to normal, the damper 3| is automatically closed and damper 32 opened, so that a re-circulation of the interior air without passage through the treatment devices in casing ,5 is obtained. The apparatus is thus self-governing and automatically acts to keep the air in the car in proper volume'and free from foreign materials and at proper degrees of temperature and humidity.

Water is supplied to the spray nozzles 1 through a feed pipe 41 leading from a motor-driven pump 48, with which connects also a return pipe 49 for returning to the pump the excess water from the humidifying chamber. A circuit is thus established whereby a continuous supply of water to the humidifienis furnished. The pipe 49 is also an intake pipe for supplying water thereto continuously or at intervals to keep the circuit properly charged. To this end, pipe 49 is connected by a branch pipe 50, in which is a controlling and cut-oif valve 5|, with the outlet of a water supply or replenishing tank 52, having a float-controlled inlet valve 53 connected with a supply pipe leading from a supply main 54 leading from a main source of supply of water on the car, said pipe 54 being provided with a controlling and cut-oil valve 55. This construction-adapts the humidifier water supply circuit to be automatically replenished with water as required and said circuit to be out out of action when desired; The tank '52, as shown, is provided with an overflow pipe 53 for discharging from the car or .conducting back to the source any excess amount of water supplied I to the tank. It is desirable to supply the spray water in cold weather to the nozzles 1 at a temperature which is above the pre-heating'temperature of the coil l3 and close to the temperature at which the air is to be heated by the coil 9, when said latter coil is used as a heating coil. There is accordingly provided in the pipe 41 a heating chamber 5'! in which is arranged a heating tube or coil 59 connected at its inlet end with a steam supply pipe 59 containing a controlling and cut-off valve 69, and connected at its opposite end with a trap 6| and drip pipe 62 for collection and discharge of the water of condensation. By this means the spray water may be heated and its temperature may be kept constant by the action of a thermostat 53 governing a' control valve 64 in the-pipe 59, whereby the amount of steam supplied to the tube or coil 58 is reliably controlled. Pipe 59 is supplied with steam from 2 a main 65 which may form part of the steam heating equipment of the car or comprise an auxiliary steam pipe supplied'with steam from the locomotive. Obviously, the heater 5'! may be cut out of action permanently or temporarily by closing valve 69. A basin or trough 49 is provided to catch the excess water from the elements 1 and 8 which is returned to thewater circulating system via pipes 49' and 49.

A pipe 86 is provided for supplying steam to the coil|3 from the main 65, and this pipe is provided with a controlling and cut off valve 61, whereby the coil l3 may be cut out of action whenever desired. Another pipe 63, having there- 'in a trap 69, is provided for discharging and colin the path of the air flowing to the humidifier and eliminator, whereby the amount of steam passing to the coil l3 will be automatically controlled to regulate the pre-heating temperature to the predetermined degree. When the coil 9 is employed as a heating coil, steammay be supplied thereto from the main 65 through a supply pipe 12 having a controlling and cut-off valve 13 and a pressure gage 14 therein, and the water of condensation from the coil may be collected and discharged through a drip pipe 15 having a controlling and cut-01f valve 15' and a: trap 16 therein. Whenever the coil 9 is employed as a cooling coil, however, a cooling liquid or refrigerant may be supplied thereto through a pipe 11 having a controlling and cut-off valve 18 therein, and connected with the pipe 12 at a suitable point between the valve I3 or gage I4 and the coil, through which the cooling liquid or refrigerant will be supplied to the coil, the liquid or refrigerant discharging from the coil through a return pipe 79 having a controlling and cut-ofi valve 19'. The pipes 17 and F9 are designed in practice to be connected with a suitable cooler or refrigerating device forming part of a circuit comprising said pipes and cooler and a pump for cooling and circulating Water or other cooling liquid, whereby the air supplied to the car may be cooled to a predetermined temperature less than outside temperature in summer weather or under climatic conditions where cooling is necessary. It will be evident, of course, that under general circumstances when the coil 9 is employed as a cooling coil the humidifier may be cut out of action or its humidifying actionreduced to the proper degree, since the cooling of the warm fresh atmospheric air supplied to the car will automatically reduce its humidity to a satisfactory degree. A pan or trough is provided to catch any moisture dripping from coil 9 for drainage through a pipe 15 to pipe 15.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that my invention provides an air conditioning method and apparatus for cars which is adapted for use at all times of the year for purifying the air and relieving it of all foreign materials, and at the same time heating it or cooling it to a predetermined temperature within the car, which may be greater or less than outside atmospheric temperature, according to conditions. Also it will be seen that fresh air may be admitted, preferably by manual control, at such intervals as may be required to keep the contained air in a wholesome condition, which action of the contained air is promoted by the continued re-circulation of the air. In admitting fresh air, and also in re-circulating the contained air, the amount of moisture supplied to the air, when an increase of humidity if required, will be automatically governed by means which will cause the re-circulated air to pass through the humidifier, or not, according to the degree of humidity of the air which is being circulated. Furthermore, it will be seen that the air may be heated or cooled, with or without humidification, as desired, and that in the re-circulation of the contained air, said air may be caused, independent of admitted fresh air, when in a proper state of humidification, to flow in contact with the heating or cooling coil, or not. according to its temperature. Thus, the air may always be maintained in a high degree of purity, at a predetermined temperature, and in a predetermined state of humidity, thus ensuring the perfect atmospheric comfort of persons traveling in the car. The provision of means for automatically maintaining not only the dry bulb temperature of the air at the desired point but also the relative humidity of the air at the desired percentage is an important feature of my invention.

Another important feature of my invention resides in the use of the coil 9 arranged in the line of the moving air stream for heating the air while it is in a state of motion and being circulated. Experimentation has shown that considerable operating economy may be obtained by heating the air in this manner over the general practice of heating the air by means of heating pipes or coils placed along the sides of the car near the floor line, as by the former method, a much greater proportion of the available heat will be taken up by the air than is possible with the present heating methods, and at the same time the circulation of the heated air ensures a better distribution of the heat through the car and also gives better ventilation. It is, therefore, possible, by the use of my novel method of heating, to reduce the number or amount of pipes or coils employed to heat a car equipped with my invention, with resultant economy in the use of steam and operation of the car.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of conditioning air and continuously distributing it at different points in the space occupied by passengers in railway cars, which consists in takingoutside air into a conditioning chamber arranged in the roof zone of the car, humidifying and filtering the air and passing it over heaters in said zone, automatically varying the temperature and relative humidity of the air to maintain a desired standard as temperature changes take place in the passenger space, discharging the conditioned air at a plurality of points in the passenger space, and recirculating the air between the passenger space and conditioning chamber, and mixing it with intaken outside air, and reconditioning the air in said chamber for redistribution.

2. The method of conditioning air and'continuously distributing it at different points in the space occupied by passengers in railway cars, which consists in taking outside air into a conditioning chamber arranged in the roof zone of the car, humidifying and filtering the air and passing it over heaters in said zone, automatically varying the temperature and relative humidity of the air to maintain a desired standard as temperature and humidity changes take place in the passenger space, discharging the conditioned air at a plurality of points in the passenger space, and recirculating the air between the passenger space and conditioning chamber, and mixing it with intaken outside air, and reconditioning the air in said chamber for redistribution.

3. Air conditioning apparatus for a passenger vehicle, comprising an air conditioning chamber located in the roof zone of said vehicle above the useful passenger space, means for conveying outside and recirculated air into said chamber, a fan for moving the air through said chamber and for discharging it into the passenger space, means for varying the proportion of outside to recirculated air, heat exchange coils in said chamber, a humidifier in said chamber, means responsive to changing conditions in the passenger space for controlling the eifect of said coils and of said humidifier upon the air being conditioned, and means connected to the output of said chamber for discharging the conditioned air without drafts into the passenger space at a plurality of points.

4. Air conditioning apparatus for a passenger vehicle, comprising an air conditioning chamber located in the roof zone of said vehicle above the useful passenger space, means for conveying outside and recirculated air into said chamber, a fan for moving the air through said chamber and for discharging it into the passenger space, means for varying the proportion of outside to recirculated air, heat exchange coils in said chamber, a humidifier in said chamber, a thermostat for controlling the efiect of said coils upon the air being 1 conditioned, a hygrostat for controlling the effect of said humidifier upon the air being conditioned, and means connected to the output of said chamber for discharging the conditioned air without drafts into the passenger space at a plurality of points.

5. The method of conditioning air and continuously distributing it at diflerent points in the space occupied by passengers in railway cars, which consists in taking outside air into a conditioning chamber arranged in the root zone of the car, humidifying and filtering the air and passing it over heaters in said zone, driving it through a system of ducts in the half deck zone of the car and distributing it at intervals throughout the passenger containing space of the car, and recirculating the air between the passenger containing space and conditioning chamber and mixing it' with intaken' outside air and reconditioning the air in said chamber for redistribution. Y

6. The method of conditioning air and continuously distributing it at different points in the space occupied by passengers in railway cars, which consists in taking outsideair into a conditioning chamber arranged in the roof zone of the car, moistening and filtering the air with a water spray and passing it over heaters in said zone, driving it through one or more ducts in the half deck zone of the car and distributing it at intervals throughout the passenger containing'space of the car, and recirculating the air between the passenger containing space and conditioning chamber and mixing it with intaken outside air, and reconditioning the airin said chamber for redistribution.

7. The method of conditioning air and continuously distributing it at different points in the space occupied by passengers in railway cars,

which consists in taking outside air into a conditioning chamber arranged in the root zone of the car, washing the air to free it from impurities and to humidity it to a certain degree, passing the air over heaters in said zone, driving the heated air through one or more ducts in the half 'deck zone of the car and distributing it at intervals throughout the passenger containing space of the car, and re-circulating the air between the passenger containing space and conditioning chamber and mixing it with intaken outside air and reconditioning the air in said chamber for redistribution.

8. Air conditioning apparatus for a railway passenger car, comprising a unit, air tight except for air inlet and discharge outlet openings, located in one end of said'car, above the useful passenger space, means comprising one or more walls of said c'ar forming a plenum space between the back end of said unit and the end of said car, a horizontal recirculated air inlet grille, opening into said plenum space at the lower side thereof, an outside air inlet opening into said plenum space above said grillerheat exchange coils in said unit, a humidifier in said unit, a fan for moving air from said plenum space through said unit, means responsive to conditions in the passenger space for controlling the effect of'said coils and of said humidifier upon the air being conditioned, and means connected to the output side of said unit for discharging the conditioned air into the passenger space at a plurality of points in the root zone of said car.

JESSE H. DAVIS. 

